Wire-drawing block assembly



P 5, 1962 R. E. GRIFFITHS ETAL 3,055,491

WIRE-DRAWING BLOCK ASSEMBLY Filed April 26, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept 25 1962 R. E. GRlFFlTHS ETAL 3,055,491

WIRE-DRAWING BLOCK ASSEMBLY Filed April 26. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TORS Sept. 25, 1962 R. E. GRIFFITHS ET AL 3,055,491

WIRE-DRAWING BLOCK ASSEMBLY Filed April 26, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet s JNVENTORS ka/vnza E. GQ/FF/fl/S 650/265 F. W440 Arr A EY Sept. 25, 1962 Filed April 26, 1960 R. E. GRIFFITHS ETAL WIRE-DRAWING BLOCK ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TORS 'QONALJ E. Gfi/FF/Tl/S GEORGAF E 144410 WWXZW Unite States atent O 3,055,491 WIRE-DRAWING BLQCK ASSEMBLY Ronald E. Griffiths, Cleveland Heights, and George F. Wald, North Olmsted, Ohio, assignors to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 24,834 6 Claims. (Cl. 20520) The present invention relates generally to wire drawing apparatus and more particularly to an improved wiredrawing block assembly.

In drawing wire it is conventional practice to coil the wire on a wire-drawing or stripper block during the drawing operation. The block is mounted on and driven by a vertically disposed shaft for rotation in a horizontal plane.

Prior to our invention, the block was provided with a plurality of pins, commonly called stripper pins, arranged concentrically in and projecting upwardly from the block. The stripper pins functioned as an arbor which supported the wire in coil form as the block rotated and the wire was delivered from the drawing die. In some wire-drawing the pins were fixedly disposed and in others they were removably installed in the block. In the case of the former, after the desired amount of wire had been coiled around the pins on the block, the coil was removed from the block by lifting it vertically and stripping it from the pins. Where the pins were removable, the pins were removed to facilitate removal of the finished coil of wire. In some installations a riding stripper or arbor was carried by the block at the center of the concentrically arranged stripper pins and in some cases a riding stripper was used alone without surrounding stripper pins. When the riding stripper was used alone the height of the bundle that could be accumulated was limited because of the danger of the riding stripper and the coil of wire going off balance and flying off the block during rotation. This, of course, created a hazardous situation which could cause injury to the operator, damage to the wire-drawing equipment or damage to the coil of wire itself.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an improved wire-drawing block assembly which includes a rotatable block having a riding stripper positively secured thereon so as to make possible drawing of large coils of wire at high speed.

Corollary to the above object it is another object of the invention to provide an improved mounting means for removably securing the riding stripper on the block.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the wire-drawing block assembly of the invention showing the riding stripper in position;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the wire-drawing block assembly of the invention with the riding stripper removed showing the assembly in open position;

FIGURE 3 is a View similar to FIGURE 2 showing the assembly of the invention in closed position;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line IVIV of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line VV of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line VIVI of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line VIIVII of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 6 showing a modified embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing 3,h55,49l Patented Sept. 25, 1962 ice the same modified embodiment of the invention as is shown in FIGURE 8.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2 designates the block frame of an apparatus having the wire-drawing block assembly of our invention installed thereon. The Wire-drawing block assembly or" the invention includes a wire-drawing block 4 having a raised center hub 6 formed with a circumferential apron 8 extending therearound. The block 4 is mounted on a vertically disposed power shaft 10 in the conventional manner for rotation in a horizontal plane.

The hub 6 is provided with four radial slots 12 spaced around the circumference thereof. A portion of each of the slots 12 extends into apron 8, as best shown in FIGURES 2-5, for receiving the foot portions of a riding stripper 14 carried by the hub 6. The riding stripper 14 is generally conventional in structure and includes four legs '16 each having an outwardly extending foot portion 18. The riding stripper is carried by the hub 6 with the legs 16 received in the portions of slots 12 in the hub and the feet 18 disposed in the portions of the slots 12 extending into the apron.

A locking ring 20 is mounted on the apron portion 8 of the hub 6 by tongue-and-groove means machined in the locking ring 20' and in the apron 8 as at 22 and 24. The locking ring 20 is provided with radial slots 26 spaced around its inner circumference. The locking ring 20 is rotatable relative to the apron 8 between a first position wherein the slots 26 in the locking ring are in registry with the slots 12 in the hub, as shown in FIGURE 2, and a second position wherein the slots in the locking ring are not in registry with the slots in the hub, as shown in FIGURE 3. When the locking ring is in its second position the foot portions 18 of the riding stripper are locked in the slots 12 of the hub. When the locking ring is in its first position with the slots 26 in registry with the slots 12 the riding stripper is free so that it can be lifted fromv the slots 12.

The locking ring is rotated relative to the apron 8 by means of a spanner wrench W having two spaced lugs thereon. The locking ring is shifted from one position to the other by positioning the wrench with one of its lugs fitted in a groove 28 provided in the upper surface of the locking ring and the other lug fitted in a groove 30 in the upper surface of the apron 8 adjacent one edge of the locking ring 29. The wrench is then turned to shift the locking ring relative to the apron. When the tool .is thus turned the lug disposed in the groove 30 acts as a pivot point while the lug which is disposed in the groove 28 of the locking ring functions as a driving lug.

In order to facilitate assembly of the apparatus of the invention, the locking ring 29 may be made of two or more segments held together by means of splice bars 32 which are bolted on the underside of adjoining segments of the locking ring, as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 7. The splice bars each fit into an aperture 34 in the apron 8. Each aperture 34 is longer than the splice bar fitted therein by an amount sufficient to permit the locking ring to be shifted a maximum of 30 degrees in either direction before the end of the splice bar abuts the end of the aperture. The ring can move from registry to non-registry position within such limits of movement. This arrangement insures that the riding stripper is locked at all times when the block is rotating. When the block is stopped and the locking ring 20 is shifted to free the riding stripper, the stop for the splice bar insures the ring cannot be turned beyond the second position where the stripper legs are free to be released.

FIGURES 8 and 9 illustrate a modification of the looking ring of the invention. In this modified embodiment the locking ring 20" is provided with a fillet 21 integral with one edge thereof and slots 26. This permits installation of the locking ring on a wire drawing block having a relative shallow apron. When the modified form of locking ring is used, a spanner wrench W having one lug on its underside and a pointed tip is used to shift the locking ring relative to the apron to lock the feet 18 of the riding stripper in place. In such use the pointed tip of the tool is inserted into one of the slots 12' in the hub and the tool is pivoted about its lug which for this purpose is disposed in one of the slots 26 in the locking ring, as shown in FIGURE 8. Parts of the modified embodiment of the invention similar to those of the preferred embodiment previously described have been given similar reference numbers but primed.

If desired, a reinforcing plate 36 for the riding stripper may be mounted on the top of the hub 6, as shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3. The plate 36 is provided with four grooves 38 spaced around its perimeter for receiving the legs 16 of the riding stripper. The reinforcing plate 36 serves to stabilize the legs of the riding stripper and prevent their collapse during high speed rotation of the wire-drawing block.

In operation, before wire-drawing is started the locking ring 20 is in its first position with the slots 26 in registry with the slots 12 so that the riding stripper can be mounted on the block with the legs and the foot portions thereof received in the slots 12. After the riding stripper has been thus positioned the locking ring is shifted approximately 30 degrees in the manner described above to remove the slots 26 from registry with the slots 12 and thus secure the riding stripper in operating position. After the desired amount of wire has been accumulated on the riding stripper the locking ring 20 is shifted approximately 30 degrees in the opposite direction to place the slots 26 in registry with the slots 12 again. Then the riding stripper together with the coil of wire thereon may be easily removed from the block by means of a lift crane.

While two embodiments of our invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A wire-drawing block assembly comprising a rotatable raised hub having a circumferential apron extending therearound, a riding stripper having a plurality of spaced legs carried by said hub and projecting upwardly therefrom, a foot portion on the bottom of each of said legs extending outwardly substantially normal to the leg,

said hub having a plurality of radial slots spaced therearound, each of said slots including a portion extending into the apron of the hub, said riding stripper being disposed on said hub with its legs received in said radial slots, the foot portions of said legs beingreceived in the portions of said slots in said apron, and a locking ring rotatably mounted on said apron, said locking ring having a plurality of radial slots spaced therearound, said locking ring being circumferentially rotatable relative to said apron between a first position wherein the slots in the locking ring are in registry with the slots in the hub and a second position wherein the slots in the locking ring are not in registry with the slots in the hub.

2. A wire-drawing block assembly as defined by claim 1 including a stop means on said locking ring adapted to cooperate with said apron to limit the movement of said locking ring relative to said apron.

3. A wire-drawing block assembly as defined by claim 2 characterized by said apron having an aperture therein and said stop means including a lug depending from the underside of said locking ring and extending into said aperture, the relative dimensions of said lug and said aperture being such that said lug abuts one end of said aperture when the ring is in said first position and abuts the other end of said aperture when the ring is in said second position.

4. A wire-drawing block assembly as defined by claim 1 in which said locking ring is mounted on said apron by tongue-and-groove means.

5. A wire-drawing block assembly as defined by claim 1 including a plate mounted horizontally on said hub, said plate having spaced grooves in its perimeter, the legs of said riding stripper being engaged in said last-named grooves.

6. A wire-drawing block assembly as defined by claim 1 characterized by the width of said apron being greater than the width of said locking ring, said apron having spaced grooves in the upper surface thereof adjacent an edge of said locking ring, said locking ring having spaced grooves in the upper surface thereof intermediate its edges, the grooves in the apron and the grooves in the locking ring being adapted to receive a tool whereby the locking ring can be rotated relative to the apron.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,786,639 Schreiner Mar. 26, 1957 

